Mt. Anak Krakatau Rests after String of Mysterious Tremors

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A researcher with the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), Mamay Surmayadi, said there had been no eruption on Mount Anak Krakatau since January 10. 

 “There had been no eruption since January 10. Anak Krakatau is probably resting these days,” he told Tempo on Monday, January 14, 2019. 

Mamay said, however, this condition might still change. “It [the condition] still fluctuates given its potential eruptions. Based on seismic recordings, there is still underground magma movement,” he said. 

Mamay said his side was still keeping a close watch on the mountain. “We cannot yet tell for sure if the activity period of Mount Anak Krakatau is over. It probably still fluctuates. So we are keeping an eye on developments,” he explained. 

Read: Eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau is Strombolian Type: PVMBG

He added the mountain’s status activity had not been lowered. “Mount Anak Krakatau is still on level 3, alert, with a dangerous radius of five kilometers,” he said. 

On January 10, 2019, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded a string of mysterious quakes in the vicinity of Mount Anak Krakatau Island.  Mamay said the seismograph on Sertung Island also recorded the tremors. “If asked, those were tectonic quakes,” he said. 

Mamay added the latest field observation from 00:00 up to 06:00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) recorded ten local tectonic earthquakes but there was no any recorded eruption from its crater. 

AHMAD FIKRI (CONTRIBUTOR)